Press Secretary of the Russian President: NATO expels Russian diplomats to undermine the normalization of bilateral relations
Xinhua News Agency, Moscow, October 7 (Reporter Hu Xiaoguang) Russian President’s Press Secretary Peskov said on the 7th that NATO’s decision to expel Russian diplomats and accuse them of engaging in hostilities undermines the normalization of relations between Russia and NATO.
According to a report by the "Russia 24" news channel, Peskov stated that there is an obvious contradiction between NATO’s statement of hope and the normalization of Russian relations and NATO’s actual actions.
These actions cannot make Russia have any expectations for the normalization of relations with NATO and the prospect of resuming bilateral dialogue.
NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg said in Brussels on the 7th that NATO expelled eight members of the Russian Permanent Mission to NATO this time because they were engaged in espionage activities.
He also said that NATO "will take countermeasures against Russia's malicious actions."
He previously stated that the current relationship between NATO and Russia is at its lowest point since the Cold War.
NATO officials said on the 6th that NATO has revoked the permanent qualifications of the eight Russian diplomats and has once again reduced the number of personnel in the Russian delegation from 20 to 10.
Russian diplomats whose permanent status has been revoked must leave before the end of October.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grushko responded on the same day that this is another move by NATO to spread the so-called "Russian threat."
Slutsky, chairman of the International Affairs Committee of the Russian State Duma (lower house of parliament), believes that all the allegations against Russian diplomats are untenable and Russia will take retaliatory measures.
NATO set a 30-person limit on the number of permanent Russian delegations to NATO in 2015.
In 2018, NATO revoked the qualifications of the 7 members of the Russian Permanent Mission to NATO, rejected the applications of 3 Russian diplomats to reside in NATO, and reduced the number of the Russian delegation from 30 to 20.
(Participating reporter: Ren Ke)